Category Archives: business funding

THRIVE PHILANTHROPY GRANT

Application Deadline: Deadlines are 11:59 pm GMT on

1 December

1 March 

1 June

1 September

LOCATION: USA

The Thrive Grant funds initiatives outside the USA that accelerate alternatives to industrial animal agriculture, create plant-rich food systems, and/or increase access to or awareness of nutritious plant-based foods.

ELIGIBILITY:

Proposals that aim to accelerate alternatives to industrial animal agriculture, create plant-rich food systems, and/or increase access to or awareness of nutritious plant-based foods.

Aligns with Thrive Philanthropy’s safespace policy.

Any country that is not the USA and not an international chapter of a US-based organization.

Applicants must consistently demonstrate a positive reputation with their stakeholders and community and be able to contribute to Thrive Philanthropy’s positive reputation.

Not a for-profit company.

Thrive Grants are typically directed to organizations. If you are an individual, please see our Seed Grant.

They are currently prioritizing organizations with a budget less than $500,000 USD

For African applicants—have received an invitation or previous grant.

Special Note for Africa-Based Applicants:

Due to an exceptionally high number of proposals coming from Africa, African proposals are accepted by invitation only or by previous grantees.

If you are based in Africa and haven’t been invited to apply for a grant, you are welcome to join Thrive’s other Africa initiatives such as the Thrive Africa Accelerator HERE. Within the accelerator you’ll get to join a cohort of like-minded advocates across Africa, and Thrive will get to know more about your work, increasing your chances of being invited to apply in the future.
If you’re based in Africa and haven’t been invited to apply or aren’t a previous grantee, we kindly request you not submit an application.

BENEFIT:

The Thrive Grant ranges from $10,000 USD to $30,000 USD
The Thrive Grant is geared toward mid-size or larger organizations with a track record of success. They are currently accepting applications from any country in the world except the USA. Most Thrive Grants are directed to organizations that we have funded in the past.

APPLY

CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY AFRICA BUSINESS INCUBATION PROGRAM

Application Deadline: May 20, 2026

LOCATION: Rwanda

The Business Incubation Program is a 12-month opportunity focused on helping tech founders in Africa to succeed with their entrepreneurial ventures. Startups entering the Business Incubation Program have a proof-of-concept prototype for their product and a preliminary market assessment. The goal is for startups to leave the program with a revenue-generating product that is positioned to successfully compete for additional investment they will need to scale.

ELIGIBILITY:

Eligible startups must be less than two years old and meet the following at the time of application:

Be building a scalable, tech-enabled solution addressing a clearly defined market opportunity across Africa

Have a proof-of-concept prototype with early validation and a clear path to profitability, scalability, and inclusive impact

Demonstrate strong market understanding and a credible business model

Be led by at least two committed co-founders able to dedicate full-time effort to the venture and program

Be a registered company. 

They will not consider applications from startups with the following criteria: 

Marketplaces (E-commerce, middleman platforms)

Late-stage startups, which have raised significant capital and earn consistent revenue

Startups without potential to generate jobs

Non-tech enabled startups

Startups without functional prototypes

Startups that have been through more than two similar programs in the past 12 months

BENEFIT:

$50,000 USD in seed funding from CMU-Africa

12 months of targeted advisory support from experienced practitioners across product, growth, compliance, and investment to drive revenue, scale, and investor readiness.

$5,000 in AWS credits and $1,500 in Amazon technical support

Introductions to angel investors, VCs firms, and partners in Africa and Pittsburgh

Opportunity to connect CMU-Africa’s partner ecosystem across Africa

Connection to global entrepreneurship networks, including startups and industry partners at CMU’s Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship in Pittsburgh

APPLY